Attorney says Cilia Flores suffered serious injuries during US operation that seized Maduro
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, appeared for their first federal court session on Monday, January 5.
During the session, Flores’s attorney Mark Donnelly told the senior US District judge that his client had sustained significant injuries when she and her husband, Maduro, were captured by the US military during the recent raid.
Several reporters, including CNN’s Laura Coates, who were present inside the courtroom, described the atmosphere and Flores’s injuries.
Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores 'stoic' in court
During her report, the CNN analyst described the scene inside the courtroom while Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
She said that watching the former Venezuelan president walk into a courtroom in America was “unbelievable.”
As she chimed in on the couple’s physical appearance, she noted that Flores had “visible injuries” which included a bandage on her right temple and forehead.
“Both of them appeared to be a little bit stoic, and also having difficulty sitting and getting up from their chairs,” she reported.
Coates added that Maduro had to brace himself and use support to lower his body, describing him as “particularly tall.”
Flores’s attorney also argued in court that his client sustained serious injuries during her “abduction” and suggested that she would require medical treatment for a possible fracture and severe bruising on her ribs.
Coates confirmed the claim by noting that while Maduro spoke to the judge, he looked over at Flores and her injuries when Donnelly was talking about medical attention.
Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores plead not guilty in court
During their first appearance in court, Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores appeared before Judge Alvin Hellerstein.
While in court, Maduro maintained his innocence, noting that he was a “decent man” and not guilty of anything that was mentioned in court.
“Not guilty, completely innocent,” Flores echoed his thoughts.
Despite the not guilty pleas, neither Maduro nor Flores sought bail or release, while the judge noted that they would return to court on March 17, at 11 am ET.
Nicolas Maduro's son speaks out about parents' 'kidnapping'
Maduro Guerra stated during the installation session of the National Assembly, “If we normalize the kidnapping of a head of state, no country is safe,” he said.
He issued a warning, noting that tomorrow another country could meet the same fate, and said that it was not a “regional problem” but a threat to global stability and humanity.
